The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) is closely following the disaster at Al-Ahly / Al-Masry football match in Port Said Stadium this evening, Wednesday, February 1, which resulted in the death of scores of fans, with hundreds injured.

The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) is closely following the disaster at Al-Ahly / Al-Masry football match in Port Said Stadium this evening, Wednesday, February 1, which resulted in the death of scores of fans, with hundreds injured.

The FJP extends its sincere condolences to the families of the dead, prays to God for mercy and forgiveness for them, and wishes the injured a speedy recovery, but believes that what happened in this game was than fan enthusiasm or intolerance gone berserk: an integral part of a deliberate scheme to ignite strife, originally aiming to push Egypt into a downward spiral of crises.

The FJP believes that what happened in Port Said cannot be at all separated from the overall scene emerging since a few days ago, with organized robberies of a number of banks, post offices and security vehicles, as well as a proliferation of cases of robbery and banditry. These acts have indeed emerged clearly after the completion of parliamentary elections, which was a major shift for the Egyptian revolution. This points to treacherous hands which are no longer hidden, intent on forcing Egypt into chaos and destruction.

The party emphasizes that this tragedy witnessed at the Port Said Stadium and almost repeated in the Cairo Stadium during the Zamalek and Ismaili match, and before them the contrived confrontation and violence near the People's Assembly building on Tuesday, are certainly aimed at derailing the process of peaceful democratic transition of power.

These are, evidently, the handiwork of domestic parties and dubious forces that still have strong ties with the former regime, which manages the sabotage scheme from the cells of Tora prison, taking advantage of a number of businessmen who were the pillars of the failed system and still enjoy freedom, despite the many crimes of corruption they are involved in, using their money and a number of print and broadcast media they own. Moreover, there are, no doubt, foreign fingers that failed to take control of the Egyptian revolution, but never gave up attempts to distort, distract and disrupt the march of the revolution. This is why we call upon the Egyptian people, with all their leanings, hues and inclinations, to be vigilant, to thwart these plots, and to expose these groups and movements that want to drag Egypt into an abyss of organized chaos so as to prevent this homeland from enjoying stability, security, development and prosperity.

The FJP calls on SCAF, as the head of the executive power in Egypt today, to take all necessary measures to protect the people, the revolution and the country’s institutions from those domestic and foreign enemy plots. SCAF should also investigate the involvement of the police force who, plainly, could have prevented this disaster, but contented themselves with being spectators, which makes them fully liable – together with the enemies mentioned above – for the violent crimes Egypt has been witnessing.